Protecting tray for valve chambers



June 24, 1930. c. H. STOUT 1,766,469

PROTECTING TRAY FOR VALVE CHAMBERS Filed April 1, 1929 A Wok/v5 Y YPatented June 24-, $30

PNETE stars oHaononY n. s'roor; orcnA-ns-E, camronnra PROTECTING TRAYFOR VALVE CHAMBERS Application filed April 1,

My invention relates to internal combustion engines of the poppet valvetype, and more particularly to engines of the type in which the valvechamber provides an oil reservoir to which oil lines, that lead to thedifferent bearings, are connected.

lVith the valves and valve guides removed from the engine, incident togrinding the valves and their seats, large opening", ex-

tending from the top of the chamber to the top of the cylinder block,are left, through whichwastc matter is free to fall into the valvechamber. hen carbon is scraped from the tops of the cylinders and valveports, and the valve seats are refaced, the resultant carbon andcuttings fall through the aforesaid openings into the valve chamber,thereby contaminating the oil therein, which frequently results inclogging of the oil lines, ending disastrously in burning out of thebearings.

. It is a purpose ofmy invention to provide a device in the form of atray which is capable of being readily applied to the valve chamber, andin such position as to form a protecting covering for the oil in thechamher to receive and collect the carbon particles, cuttings, and otherwaste matter, in such manner as to prevent contamination of the oil.

I will describe onlyv one form of protecting tray embodying my inventionand will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View showing in front elevation one form of protecting trayembodying my invention in applied" position to the valve chambers to aninternal combustion engine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the protecting tray shown inthe preceding views.

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide a device which essentiallyconsists of a tray adapted to be partly inserted into the valve chamberof an engine to seal the oil con- DO tained therein againstcontamination by the aforesaid "edge 1929. Serial is. 351,804.

carbon and cuttings, and other waste matter which may fall into thechambers through the valve ports and other openings. The tray, in thepresent instancefcomprises apartition 15 substantially of rectangularoutline. and corresponding in width to that of the valve chambers towhich it is adapted to be applied, but as to length in respect to thevalve chambers, it is shorter in order to accommodate flexible endelements 16 that function to span the space between the ends of thepartition and the end walls of the valve chambers in such a manner as toseal the ends of the partition against the-passage downwardly of carbonand cuttings.

Rising from the back edge of the partition 15 is a substantiallyvertical flange 17 corresponding in length to that of the partition, andhaving its upper marginal edge flared rearwardly as indicated at 18 inorder that it may have physical contact with the rear wall of the valvechambers and thus prevent the passage of carbon and cuttings downwardlybetween the flange and-Wall. Medially of its ends the flange 17 isrecessed as indicated at 19 in order, to accommodate'the bulged part ofthe motor block. Extend ing downwardly from the front edge of thepartition 15 is a second flange 20, likewise corresponding in length tothe partition 1.5, and designed to span the joint between the partitionand the lower, edge of the front Wall of the valve chambers so as toprevent entrance therethrough of carbon or cuttings, and particularly inthe event the partition should he accidentally lifted, it being notedthat the flange 20 is relatively wide so as to depend an appreciabledistance below the of the front wall the chambers. i

The partition 15, and the two flanges l7 and 19 are preferably.constructed from a single sheet of metal or other suitable material bybending the sheet longitudinally along the lines defined bythe front andrear edges of the partition '15. The material of which these elements isformed ,is sufficiently rigid in nature to maintaintheangular relationof the flanges and partition, once they are formed so that the traywillmaintain its original form and thus at all times be quickly and properlyfitted within the valve chambers to effectively perform the functionsfor which it is intended.

r The elements 16 are formed of any suitable flexible material such asrubberized fabric, and by means of split rivets 21 these elements aresecured to ends of the partition and the ends of the flange 17 in suchmanner that the elements extend outwardly and upwardly beyond the endsof the tray, and by reason of the nature of the material of which theyare formed, they normally maintain this contour except when insertedinto a valve chamber, when, by engagement of the end walls of the valvechambers they are flexed inwardly toward each other in a manner toprovide an effective seal between the walls of the chambers and; theends of the 20 tray to prevent the passage downwardly of carbon,cuttings and any other waste matter, to a point beneath the partition.It will be understood that with the elements in this position they areheld under tension, their tendency being to return to normal position,

and in so doing, engaging the end walls of the valve chambers to providethe aforesaid seal. In practice, the trayis applied to the valvechambers of an engine in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, thepartition 15 assuming a horizontal position within the chambers andabove the body of oil c011- tained therein so as to provide a protectingcovering for the oil. The flanges 17 and 20 are positioned and so engagethe walls of the chambers as to support the partition in proper coveringrelation to the oil, and in addition, coact with the walls of thechambers to prevent carbon particles and metal cuttings from passingdownwardly at the front and rear edges of the partition, the elements 16performing a similar function at the ends of the partition, as has beendescribed. With the tray applied in the man 5 ner described, it will bemanifest that it protects the bottom of the valve chamber against anywaste matter falling into the oil either through the top openings of thechambers or the side openings thereof, and I in consequence of which,the oil is protected against contamination and its usefulness preserved.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of protectingtray for valve chambers embodying my invention, it is to be understoodthat various changes and modifications may be made herein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim: 7 1. Atray of the character described, comprising a partition,and means secured to and so positioned on the partition as to engageparts of a valve chamber when applied thereto in a manner to retain thepartition substantially horizontal Within the valve chambers so as tocoy er the oil contained in the chamber.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a tray havingflexible portions at its ends so positioned as to be placed undertension when the tray is applied to a valve chamber to seal the ends ofthe tray against the passage of waste matter downwardly between the endsof the tray and the walls of the valve chambers.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a tray having ahorizontal partition, a flange rising from the back of the partition anda second" flange depending from the front of the partition.

4:. A device of the character described, comprising a tray having ahorizontal partition, a flange rising from the back of the partition andflexible elements at the ends of the partition.

5. A tray of the character described, comprising an elongated partition,flanges secured to and extending in opposite directions from thepartition, and flexible elements secured to the ends of the partitionand the ends of one of the flanges.

6. A tray of the character described, comprising a partition adapted tobe disposed to substantially horizontal within a valve, and meanssecured to its edges and so positioned thereon as to engage the walls ofthe valve chambers to seal the partition against the passage of wastematter downwardly there around.

7. A tray of the character described, comprising a partition, upstandingand depend ing members on the partition, and flexible elements at theends of the partition.

8. A tray as embodied in claim 7 wherein the flexible elements aresecured to the underside of the partition and to the rear side of theupstanding member in such manner as to cause the flexible elements toextend outwardly and upwardly.

CHAUNCEY H. STOUT.

